If you're a passionate baseball fan, you might enjoy attending games with other people. Normally, those with whom you attend will also be fans, but you might occasionally find yourself going to games with friends who don't know much about the sport. It can still be fun to sit with your friends and enjoy some refreshments on a summer day while you watch the game, but you want to feel as though they're enjoying themselves. There are a number of things that you can do to get your friends more interested in the game and perhaps even turn them into fans by the time the game concludes. Here are some ideas.

1. Briefly Explain Statistics

Entire books have been written on baseball statistics, so it's not reasonable to think that you can thoroughly explain stats in just a short amount of time. You can, however, give your friends a basic understanding of what they're looking at when stats flash on the video board. Even a non-fan will likely know what home runs and strikeouts are, but you can give a brief rundown of a batter's batting average and a pitcher's earned-run average. Baseball is a stat-driven sport, and getting familiar with the numbers can make people more interested.

2. Tell Some Player Stories

Another effective way to involve your friends in the game is to tell them some stories about certain players. Doing so goes beyond balls, strikes, hits, and outs, and makes the players more human in a sense. If you're a serious fan, you'll likely be able to relay some anecdotes about certain players as you point them out on the field in front of you. For example, you could talk about the veteran who is known for his charity work off the field or the rookie who defected to the U.S. from Cuba, making a harrowing escape that made headlines at the time.

3. Teach Them Some "Fan Things"

Over time, baseball fans who attend games in person will get into the fun atmosphere that ballparks present. To the first-time attendee, however, these elements may appear confusing. Explain the wave and have your friends ready to take part as it comes around. Talk about the age-old song, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," and have your friends ready to sing it and move during the seventh inning stretch. Different teams have different fan traditions, so share these with your friends to make them feel more engaged.

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